Amitabh Bachchan b'day special | A Sholay of memories & friendship with Rajkumar: Bengaluru’s story with Big B

This story was first published in Deccan Herald's Metrolife on September 25, 2019, when Amitabh Bachchan was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. It is being republished today on the occasion of the superstar’s 83rd birthday.

Sholay, the most spectacular production in Amitabh Bachchan’s early career, was shot near Bengaluru. The hills and ravines you see in the film are in Ramanagara, just an hour’s drive from Bengaluru. The town is today known for a folklore museum, and is a pit stop for motorists on the way to Mysuru, but in the 1970s, when Sholay was shot, it had no easy access from the main road, and the production unit had to make its own road to reach the sets.

The film features two real-life couples: Amitabh and Jaya, already married, and Dharmendra and Hema Malini, whose romance was blossoming. Dharmendra, the story goes, used to pay the crew money to tell the director he had messed up his scenes with Hema, and he could get some extra hugs.

The action adventure was inspired by Wild West cowboy films such as The Magnificent Seven and My Name is Nobody, and Amitabh played a mercenary hired to avenge the humiliation inflicted by dacoit Gabbar Singh on a village and its headman.

Without doubt, Sholay is one of the biggest hits in Amitabh’s career, and it introduced him to a city he was to visit several times in later years. Gabbar Singh, the evil man he takes on, became one of Indian cinema’s most memorable villains, with telling lines that to this day provide grist for ads, trolls, and memes. Rahul Gandhi recently invoked the daku’s name to criticise Modi government’s GST: he called it Gabbar Singh tax!

The Dadasaheb Phalke award announced for Amitabh on Tuesday was conferred on his dear friend and Kannada actor Rajkumar 23 years ago. Rajkumar had a special place in his heart for Amitabh, and the sentiment was mutual.

The friendship began with a conflict. Films starring them were contending for release at a cinema hall, and that had left Rajkumar fans angry. Amitabh flew down to Bengaluru, met Rajkumar, and brought the curtains down on the controversy.

A decade later, Amitabh has shooting in Bengaluru for Coolie, and was involved in a deadly accident that put his life in danger. He was treated at St Philomena’s Hospital, and recovered after an operation. On many occasions, Amitabh has recalled how Rajkumar had gone to Nanjangud to pray for him. Rajkumar performed an urulu seve (worship by rolling on the floor all round the temple) to pray for Amitabh’s recovery. Once Amitabh was back on his feet, Rajkumar told him to visit the temple.

When Rajkumar was kidnapped by Veerappan, Amitabh was equally concerned, and would frequently call up the family in Bengaluru to ask about the developments. More recently, Amitabh appeared in a guest role in the Kannada film Amritadhare (2005). A company he had founded hosted a beauty pageant in Bengaluru amid protests.

Over the years, Amitabh’s films have enjoyed tremendous runs in Bengaluru, and his many admirers told Metrolife how happy they were that he is being decorated with the Dadasaheb honour.